Valve closure



July 14, 1931. v c, TETLEY 1,814,460

VALVE CLOSURE Filed Aug. 4, 1930 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1931.

MAURICE G. 'I'ETLE'Y, OF SYRACUSE, NEWLYORK VALVE CLOSURE Application filed. August 4, 1930. Serial No. 472,966.

This invention relates to collapsible tubes such as commonly employed for tooth paste, shaving cream, and various other liquid and viscous materials, and has for its object to provide novel construction and arrangement of the dispensing means, which may be detachably applied to the usual threaded necks of the tube, to obviate the unscrewing, removing and replacing of the threaded caps or closures. A further object is to provide a dispensing attachment which com rises a substantially circular or disc-like bo y, having a threaded opening to receive the neck of the tube, said opening preferably being disposed eccentric to the axis of the disc, and being screwed on until the parts are tightly joined. A further object 1s to provide an inverted cup-shaped member, whose cylindrical portion telescopes the said disc and is rotatable thereon, the closed end of' said member being formed with a perforation that is disposed eccentric to its own axis, as well as that of the disc, and which may be rotated in either direction upon said body to bring the said perforation into coincidence with the bore of the neck of the tube, to afford the free dispensing or oozing of the contents of the tube when pressure is exerted to collapse the tube. And a further object is to provide means to connect the said member and disc for swivel action and to prevent accidental separation of said part.

I attain these objects by the detaile description which follows, and as illustrated as by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top end view of a tube to which my improvement is applied, the dispensing cap being in'the off position. Fig, 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar end view, the cap being in position to dispense contents of the tube. Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation and partial central vertical section of the device, shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively, a top end view, and an edge view, taken in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a top plan view, showing slight modifications of the disc and cap. And Fig. 8 is a side elevation and partial central vertical section.

In the drawings, 2 represents a collapsible tube, or like container, having a closed bottom 2', and a crowned top 2a, the latter being formed with a bored, externally threaded neck 20, by which the contents of the tube may be ejected by squeezing the body of the tube. My improved dispensing means, which is designed to take the place of the usual screw caps common to tubes of this class, consists of a relatively thick disc 3, which is formed with an eccentric threaded opening 3 to receive the neck 20, the depth of the disc preferably corresponding to the height of the said neck. The control for the discharge of the contents of the tube comprises an inverted cup-shaped capor member 4, whose cylindrical portion 4' loosely telescopes the disc and is manually rotatable thereon. The cap 4 may be rendered inseparablefrom the .disc by folding its lower edge inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, and for this purpose, the lower corner of the disc may be rabbeted, as at 3a. The top or closed end of cap 4 is formed with an opening 4a, which is preferably disposed eccentric to the axis of the cap and disc 3, and is adapted when the cap is rotated on the disc, to be brought into coincidence with the bore of the neck 20, to enable the contents of the tube to be dispensed. Following each dispensing operation, the operator should again rotate the cap sufliciently to close the opening in the neck 20. In practice, the disc 3, with the cap attached, is usually screwed on to the neck, as 20, of a container having right-hand threads, for example, and in applying the disc, the latter is rotated towards the right until it stops. Thereafter, until the tube is emptied, the cap should be turned towards the right both to open and close the bore of the neck. This tends to prevent the unscrewing and detachment of the disc from the tube.

In Figs. 7 and 8, is shown modified swivel means, which consists of forming a continuous socket or groove, as 30, in the periphery of the disc, an after the cap 4 is applied, the opposite walls of the barrel are formed with inwardly facing teats, as 40, to engage said groove. This arrangement allows the cap to be freely rotated on the disc, and obviates all danger of the cap being distorted or detached.

Obviously, by some slight modifications,

my improved dispensing mechanism may be applied to many diiferent containers, without departing from the spirit of my invention, as clearly pointed out in the claims. 5 Having thus described my invention, what I claim, 1sr 1. A valve closure for collapsible tubes including a disk having a threaded opening to receive the threaded discharge neck of the tube, a cap disposed over and about the peri hery of the disk and-having an eccentric disc arge opening, and means to connect the cap to the disk for rotation about the latter, sald threaded opening of the disk bein disposed eccentrically of the latter, where y in one position of the cap to cause the discharge opening thereof to register with the discharge neck of the tube and in a second position to lie out of register with said discharge neck 9 thereby to close the latter.

2. A valve closure for collapsible tubes composed of means having an opening to receive the discharge neck of the tube therein, valve means disposed over and about the periphery of the first named means and being rotatable relative thereto and having an eccentric discharge opening, and means to connect the valve means to the first named means for rotation, said opening of the first named means being eccentrically related thereto whereby the discharge opening of the valve member in one position registers with the discharge neck of the tube and in a sec- 0nd position is out of register therewith so as to close same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' MAURICE G. TETLEY. 

